Trax Records Facing Federal Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Producers Mr. Fingers (aka Larry Heard) and Robert Owens have filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against Chicago house label Trax Records over unpaid royalties, Billboard reports and Pitchfork can confirm. The complaint, available in full below, alleges that Trax built its business by taking advantage of artists and “having them sign away their copyrights to their musical works for paltry amounts of money up front and promises of continued royalties throughout the life of the copyrights.” Heard and Owens are suing Trax for damages expected to exceed $1 million.
The complaint specifically hones in on unpaid royalties for Heard and Owens’ compositions from the 1980s. The suit mentions classics like “Washing Machine,” “Can You Feel It,” and “Bring Down the Walls.” The suit also names Rachael Cain, president of Trax, as a defendant. TaP Music Publishing, which has publishing deals with Heard and Owens, is co-funding the lawsuit. “We are delighted to be able to support their claim against Trax Records who have behaved abominably over the years to many artists signed to them,” said TaP co-founder Ben Mawson. “We would ask any such affected artists to reach out to us and we will endeavour to support them however we can. Hopefully those in control at Trax now decide to do the right thing, after many years of shocking disregard for their artists.”
As Billboard reports, Heard released the following statement on the lawsuit: “After doing several releases independently, it was so disappointing that my earliest ventures into the music business was with a label in the community that turned out to be dishonest, like with many other artists that we hear about all too often. We are simply seeking justice and fairness. Maybe our efforts will shed light on the many predatory practices that have been in place for a long time in this industry.”
The attorney for Cain claims that Trax has actually been fighting to get their artists, including Heard and Owens, their due royalties, and states that a long-running licensing dispute with a Canadian investor, Casablanca Trax Inc., has held up the process, according to Billboard.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
